Our camping adventure began the night prior to the actual excursion. There were four of us. My girlfriend (Kristen), my two best friends (Dan and Matt) and I, all wanted to go out camping at the suggestion of my significant other. She insisted it would be a walk in the park considering she and her father had gone so many times. The first and lasting problem with this, was that it was all of our first time camping without an adult's supervision. Coupled with our individual schedules and how they conflicted with each other, we almost scrapped the plan altogether.
We stayed put until the day had matured to a point where my poultry wouldn't bake in the afternoon sun, and, with Dan at work, the rest of us went shopping to stock up for our night, and blow a little time waiting for Dan. Kristen showed off her grill mastery by cooking us burgers from the frozen patty stage. It took a try or two to obtain the correct rarity, but she succeeded in making a good burger nonetheless.
For those who know cars, it was like trying to shift from 2nd to 5th gear. It won't happen easily, but it's possible to the point where we tried it anyway. We had a couple of situations where we had a decent blaze, but the fire was always too weak to catch the larger pieces ablaze. We must have exhausted all the pyromaniac methods we could think of before Dan finally showed up. Using his tinder, we got the fire roaring and the marshmallows blazing in no time.
We talked further and in our boredom created and cremated a paper crane. We named it Steve Maximus, for whatever reason, and make jokes.
Looking back, though, it reminds me not of an inside joke, but of the rite of passage it represented. Sure, we made mistakes; some of the eggs I had brought were boiled already and wouldn't scramble, we also didn't realize how cold the nights would get. There are too many to mention all of the little things, but we had fun in the process. The innocence that that crane gave off was just another symbol. I started the trip doubtful of our success, but discovered after that the troubles we encountered, the pride of accomplishment, and the memories we shared made it all worth it.Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
